Legal Definitions - Catoniana regula

Definition: Catoniana regula is a Latin term that refers to the "rule attributed to Cato" in Roman law. It is the principle that the passage of time does not cure something that was void from the beginning.

For example, if a person makes a bequest in their will but did not have the legal capacity to do so, the Catoniana regula would apply. This means that even if a significant amount of time has passed since the will was made, the bequest would still be considered void.

The Catoniana regula is named after the Roman legal scholar Cato and is often used in cases where a legal document or action was invalid from the start.